Chip A Saw

[Wallfish 687]

Courtesy of Webhead

[Timm 5]

I also have a chip a saw. Found it in Washington State some years ago. It says it is 3/4 hp. Also, Information on recoil, lack of zip code, would indicate it preceded 1963. A somewhat clumsy machine with a manual oiler but if I get mine running I'll have more to tell.

[Timm 5]

Where is the on/off switch? I have two stray wires out the bottom.

[Wallfish 687]

On the tip of the chrome handle is a white button. That is your "stop" button which grounds the points to stop the engine.

You'll need to remove that handle and check for a condenser too. It should be inside the bottom of the handle where it mounts to the saw. This is a unique setup compared to other tools.

Looks like the wires were pulled from the condenser so it may need to be rewired to work correctly.

 

You might want to separate the fuel/oil tank and clean it out. Probably has quite a bit of gunk in there. You can make a new gasket from the sheets of gasket material they sell at most auto parts stores.

Remove the air cleaner and check for old foam. If in there, it will get sucked into the engine when you try to start it so it needs to be cleaned out.

Check the spool inside the recoil and spin it to see if the spring is still intact. If it is, then you just need a new rope and a handle to fix it. DO NOT DRILL OUT OR REMOVE THE RIVET which holds that little cup, which is the spool bearing. The spool can be removed without separating that bearing from the housing. 

Also not a bad idea to open up that clutch/gear case, bet it's dry and will need to be cleaned and greased.

If you plan to use this saw to cut wood, you might be disappointed. These are better off used as a collector's item. It will work, since that's what it was designed to do but may not perform very well. 

[Timm 5]

Thank you for the help. Not sure when I'll get to this. I do intend to cut wood with this. I go north to Canada on canoe trips  couple or three weeks at a time. I've been taking a wood tent stove and find that less than two tanks with a Stihl 21 cuts all the wood I need. Stihl is a great saw but larger than this one and space/weight is limited on the canoe and in the portage. As well, I use an outboard and found I was carrying two fuel oil mixes. I've got an O & R outboard running now and with the O & R saw I'll lighten and simplify my load. Even if this saw is slow to cut it won't be a big deal. I'm sure it's faster than the hand saw I used in years past.

Thanks again. I'll return with more questions I'm sure.

[Wallfish 687]

Ah Ha, now I see. That sounds like you have very interesting trips.

Here's a diagram for the recoil parts.

 

 

[Webhead 95]

Not to discourage you, but I'd be a little leery about putting one of these in to regular use. These things are just not reliable to depend on firing up each day and running smoothly on a regular basis. The parts availability is just not there and the tend to be a little troublesome from the start.

[Timm 5]

I do see there are issues with these old O & R. On the other hand, I complicated my life on the trail with two different machines, which means two sets of tools and if I take the Husquarna even metric as well as SAE. At least with two O & R machines I'll only need one set of tools and one fuel mix. I would guess in one trip I put but an hour use on the saw and that mostly all at once, or simply two times. Same for the outboard, it is usually only used on the in and out portion of a trip. If there are issues with the motors at least they have parts interchangeability. I'll find out and let you know in the spring.

Can't help but wonder how they sold so many machines if people had so many problems.

[Webhead 95]

Because they looked cool

[Timm 5]

Just for info, that chip a saw chain is  12 gauge, 3/8 links, 40 links on a 10" bar. Not too much bar for the motor to pull.